UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, began operations in 1969 as the United Nations Fund for Population Activities. UNFPA was originally administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly designated UNFPA to play a leading role in the UN system in promoting population programmes. A year later, in recognition of the growth in its resources and scope of its operations, UNFPA was placed under the UN General Assembly's direct authority, raising it to the same status as UNDP and UNICEF. The UNDP Governing Council was named as its governing body, subject to overall policy guidance of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which provides policy guidance and ensures that the policies of the General Assembly are implemented.

In 1979, the General Assembly affirmed that UNFPA was a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly. In 1980, UNFPA became a full member of the Administrative Committee on Coordination (ACC), which brings together the executive heads of all UN organizations to coordinate the work of the UN system.

In 1987, the name of UNFPA was changed to the United Nations Population Fund, but the acronym, UNFPA, remained the same.

In 1993, the General Assembly transformed the governing bodies of UNICEF and UNDP/UNFPA into executive boards, subject to the authority of ECOSOC. The Executive Board is composed of 36 members: eight from states in Africa, seven from Asia and the Pacific, four from Eastern European States, five from Latin America and the Caribbean, and twelve from Western Europe and other states.

After the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994, UNFPA was designated the lead United Nations organization for the follow-up and implementation of the conference's Programme of Action.

In 1995, the General Assembly endorsed an agreement between UNDP and UNFPA to designate UNFPA resident country directors as UNFPA representatives.

UNFPA is a founding member of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG) created in 1996 to oversee the Reform Programme of the UN Secretary-General.

As part of the comprehensive reform package approved by the UN General Assembly in late 1997, UNFPA and its sister agencies have been working together to achieve full collaborative programming around the world. 

UNFPA is a founding member of UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

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